Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation photographs, 1936-1941

41-217: Interior of “Bosque” immediately below Duncan Break - June 18, 1941, showing sand bars 5 to 8 feet thick. 41-218: Another view of sand bar below Duncan Break j June 18, 1941 after big trees had been felled to close remaining gape and check flow of water. 41-216: Detail of how stream was checked in Duncan Break. 41-219: Sand bars in Duncan Gap - even though dry on surface readily develop into “quicksand bogs”. A little working and the bog becomes firm and will support the weight of a truck or tractor. 41-206: Beginning the close of the Duncan Break. See roll of net wire by middle post and note how posts are being set. 41-210: Same as above. 41-214: Looking upstream from sand bar in Duncan Gap at brush and dirt plug being extended across gap. 41-215: Looking downstream from brush & wire fence at Duncan Gap with brush and dirt plug extending 2/3 way to opposite side of break. 41-209-211: Detail of brush dorduroy ahead of dirt cover, in plug at Duncan Gap June 20, 1941. Water 3 to 4 ft deep and flowing quite rapidly around end of plug. In order to prevent tree tops from washing downstream they were placed in semi-circle beginning on upper side of jetty and extending on around end, with butts worked down into sand in front of jetty. When entire circle was filled with brush about 15 feet ahead of dirt-covered section then same was covered with 4 to 5 dump truckloads of dirt, then operation was repeated, etc. 41-203: North boundary of refuge looking east June 19-1941 after most of water in Duncan Break had been shunted back into normal channel. 40-186 Bosque, New Mexico February, 1936 San Marciel 37-134 Bosque, New Mexico Looking upstream at overflow from Riverside drain. 40-170 Bosque, New Mexico Nov. 1940 Ditch made by ditcher. 40-36 Bosque N. Mex. Jan. 15, 1940 Wing dam above highway culvert-a good piece of construction. 40-37 Bosque, N. Mex. Jan. 15, 1940 Mexican WPA crew jettings wake-field piling down-under structure 12 f 40-38 Bosque Jan. 15, 1940 Looking down newly constructed drain ditch from point just south of near mouth of riverside drain Soil Conservation Aerial Photo NM-10903 6-28-39 Rio Grande in foreground. San Antonio drain beyond river. As the stream channel has filled between 2 and 2 ½ feet in the past two years, the mouth of this drain has been closed by sediment and drain waters now run westerly over the valley floor for a mile and re-enter the Rio Grande about 7 miles away. NM-10904 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - Bosque del Apache Grant, looking upstream and showing the lower end of the San Antonio drain and the stream channel lead-ing westerly therefrom. The Socorro Mts. are in the left background. NM-10905 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - Bosque del Apache Grant, looking down the valley. In the foreground is a channel from the San Antonio drain. The general condition of the dry river bed and the valley floor can be seen. The Fra Cristobal Mts. are in the left background. NM-10906 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - View looking down the valley and showing the old grade of the A. T. and S. F. Railway and the new tracks opened for traffic about May 12, 1939. River conditions near the upper left corner of this photo were so unfavorable that a change of line was necessary because of aggradation. Temporary dikes prevented water from overflowing tracks. Track was moved after 60 years of occupancy. NM-10907 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - looking southerly. Showing the old grade of the A.T. & S. F. Railway on left and new track on right. A stream channel originating at the lower end of the San Antonio ditch is seen in the left foreground. NM-10908 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande - Looking downstream in the Bosque del Apache Grant and from a point below the mouth of the San Antonio drain. The bed of the Rio Grande is dry. A small channel leading off from the left side of the main river is the main channel of the new stream bed on the east side of the Rio Grande Valley near Val Verde. During high water dozens of other small channels lead off on the east side for a distance of approximately 4 miles. A channel leading off to the west is shown in the right fore-ground. The Fra Cristobal Mountains are in the right background and in front of the latter is the Black Mesa at San Marcial. NM-10909 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - Bosque del Apache Grant. Looking southwesterly with the dry bed of the river in the foreground. The white areas beyond the river bed are deposits of sand made during 1939. The two cut lines shown on the west side of the river are N to the north and O to the south. The new grade of the A. T. and S. F. Railway is prominent above the valley floor. The channels through the dense vegetation originate for the most part at the lower end of the San Antonio drain. The San Mateo Mts. in background. NM-10910 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - Looking downstream from near the south line of Bosque del Apache Grant. The old channel of the Rio Grande is in the foreground. A small channel which leads off from the right side of the old channel is the main channel of the new avulsion on the west side through the Tiffany Ranch. This evulsion followed the the great flood of 1937 and resulted from a pilot channel dug by settlers. In the extreme left background the old channel of the Rio Grande can be seen near the Black Mesa at San Marcial. The old grade of the A. T. & S. F. Railway is shown close to the west side of the valley floor and the new grade and track in the foothills to the right. Aggradation in several arroyos which amounted to as much as 15 feet in places was one of the factors causing the relocation of the railway in this area. Most of the deposition has occurred in the last 8 years.

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41-217: Interior of “Bosque” immediately below Duncan Break - June 18, 1941, showing sand bars 5 to 8 feet thick. 41-218: Another view of sand bar below Duncan Break j June 18, 1941 after big trees had been felled to close remaining gape and check flow of water. 41-216: Detail of how stream was checked in Duncan Break. 41-219: Sand bars in Duncan Gap - even though dry on surface readily develop into “quicksand bogs”. A little working and the bog becomes firm and will support the weight of a truck or tractor. 41-206: Beginning the close of the Duncan Break. See roll of net wire by middle post and note how posts are being set. 41-210: Same as above. 41-214: Looking upstream from sand bar in Duncan Gap at brush and dirt plug being extended across gap. 41-215: Looking downstream from brush & wire fence at Duncan Gap with brush and dirt plug extending 2/3 way to opposite side of break. 41-209-211: Detail of brush dorduroy ahead of dirt cover, in plug at Duncan Gap June 20, 1941. Water 3 to 4 ft deep and flowing quite rapidly around end of plug. In order to prevent tree tops from washing downstream they were placed in semi-circle beginning on upper side of jetty and extending on around end, with butts worked down into sand in front of jetty. When entire circle was filled with brush about 15 feet ahead of dirt-covered section then same was covered with 4 to 5 dump truckloads of dirt, then operation was repeated, etc. 41-203: North boundary of refuge looking east June 19-1941 after most of water in Duncan Break had been shunted back into normal channel. 40-186 Bosque, New Mexico February, 1936 San Marciel 37-134 Bosque, New Mexico Looking upstream at overflow from Riverside drain. 40-170 Bosque, New Mexico Nov. 1940 Ditch made by ditcher. 40-36 Bosque N. Mex. Jan. 15, 1940 Wing dam above highway culvert-a good piece of construction. 40-37 Bosque, N. Mex. Jan. 15, 1940 Mexican WPA crew jettings wake-field piling down-under structure 12 f 40-38 Bosque Jan. 15, 1940 Looking down newly constructed drain ditch from point just south of near mouth of riverside drain Soil Conservation Aerial Photo NM-10903 6-28-39 Rio Grande in foreground. San Antonio drain beyond river. As the stream channel has filled between 2 and 2 ½ feet in the past two years, the mouth of this drain has been closed by sediment and drain waters now run westerly over the valley floor for a mile and re-enter the Rio Grande about 7 miles away. NM-10904 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - Bosque del Apache Grant, looking upstream and showing the lower end of the San Antonio drain and the stream channel lead-ing westerly therefrom. The Socorro Mts. are in the left background. NM-10905 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - Bosque del Apache Grant, looking down the valley. In the foreground is a channel from the San Antonio drain. The general condition of the dry river bed and the valley floor can be seen. The Fra Cristobal Mts. are in the left background. NM-10906 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - View looking down the valley and showing the old grade of the A. T. and S. F. Railway and the new tracks opened for traffic about May 12, 1939. River conditions near the upper left corner of this photo were so unfavorable that a change of line was necessary because of aggradation. Temporary dikes prevented water from overflowing tracks. Track was moved after 60 years of occupancy. NM-10907 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - looking southerly. Showing the old grade of the A.T. & S. F. Railway on left and new track on right. A stream channel originating at the lower end of the San Antonio ditch is seen in the left foreground. NM-10908 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande - Looking downstream in the Bosque del Apache Grant and from a point below the mouth of the San Antonio drain. The bed of the Rio Grande is dry. A small channel leading off from the left side of the main river is the main channel of the new stream bed on the east side of the Rio Grande Valley near Val Verde. During high water dozens of other small channels lead off on the east side for a distance of approximately 4 miles. A channel leading off to the west is shown in the right fore-ground. The Fra Cristobal Mountains are in the right background and in front of the latter is the Black Mesa at San Marcial. NM-10909 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - Bosque del Apache Grant. Looking southwesterly with the dry bed of the river in the foreground. The white areas beyond the river bed are deposits of sand made during 1939. The two cut lines shown on the west side of the river are N to the north and O to the south. The new grade of the A. T. and S. F. Railway is prominent above the valley floor. The channels through the dense vegetation originate for the most part at the lower end of the San Antonio drain. The San Mateo Mts. in background. NM-10910 Bosque del Apache Soil Conservation Aerial Photo 6-28-39 Rio Grande Valley - Looking downstream from near the south line of Bosque del Apache Grant. The old channel of the Rio Grande is in the foreground. A small channel which leads off from the right side of the old channel is the main channel of the new avulsion on the west side through the Tiffany Ranch. This evulsion followed the the great flood of 1937 and resulted from a pilot channel dug by settlers. In the extreme left background the old channel of the Rio Grande can be seen near the Black Mesa at San Marcial. The old grade of the A. T. & S. F. Railway is shown close to the west side of the valley floor and the new grade and track in the foothills to the right. Aggradation in several arroyos which amounted to as much as 15 feet in places was one of the factors causing the relocation of the railway in this area. Most of the deposition has occurred in the last 8 years.